IP Protection in China: Beijing center defends automakers' rights

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Staying with the auto sector where a center has been established in Beijing to defend the rights of automakers and the producers of auto parts both domestically and from abroad. CGTN's Cui Hui'ao is here with a look at the facility's unique approach to IP protection as well as its plans to improve innovation and technological advancement.

Big data and IPR protection. They can be combined to drive capital. At this intellectual property investment operation center, all sorts of data are collected - from patent applications to mergers and acquisitions, even talents.

GENG DEQIANG, GENERAL MANAGER CHINA AUTOMOTIVE IP INVESTMENT OPERATION CENTER "Patent is like intelligence information. We believe top business teams have the resources to produce the most innovative products. So our data tracks the latest patent applications and scientific achievements of those companies, and where their talents go."

Finding the companies with core intellectual property to invest, and providing IPR services for them, this center's approach differs from traditional investment institutions. And, it only focuses on automotives, a sector Geng says is undergoing profound changes in China, with the integration of new technologies like the internet of things and the influx of foreign capital.

GENG DEQIANG, GENERAL MANAGER CHINA AUTOMOTIVE IP INVESTMENT OPERATION CENTER "At a company's early stages, we tell them whether what they aim to develop is something already patented. Later in the research and development period, we help them protect their core technologies. And after products become popular in the market, our services include potential patent licenses and legal lawsuits."

CUI HUI'AO BEIJING "In recent years, China has been establishing a sound intellectual property rights system. This is not just a response to the demand of foreign companies operating in China, but also because domestic companies need to have solid ground on which to develop technologies, innovate and go global."

Since 2012, China has processed more domestic patent applications for inventions than any other country, strong evidence of innovation-driven growth in the economy. And yet, Geng says it is a conundrum for many start-ups as they cannot afford top-notch IPR service. That would in turn damage a start-up's development in the long-run. This is where government-initiated platforms like Geng's come in.

GENG DEQIANG, GENERAL MANAGER CHINA AUTOMOTIVE IP INVESTMENT OPERATION CENTER "You need professionals who know patents so as to cater to different companies' needs. But IPR service is not our profit point, rather it's equity investment and data services that sustain our business."

This new model is killing two birds with one stone: helping companies with the most potential to protect themselves and thrive, while the center makes profit. Cui Hui'ao, CGTN, Beijing.